CHAPTER 709
An Act to amend and reenact § 2.2-2699.3 of the Code of Virginia and to amend and reenact the second enactment of Chapter 444 of the Acts of Assembly of 2008, as amended by Chapters 759 and 760 of the Acts of Assembly of 2018, and to repeal the third enactment of Chapter 818 of the Acts of Assembly of 2009, as amended by Chapters 759 and 760 of the Acts of Assembly of 2018, and the third enactment of Chapter 852 of the Acts of Assembly of 2009, as amended by Chapters 759 and 760 of the Acts of Assembly of 2018, relating to the Office of Telework Promotion and Broadband Assistance and the Broadband Advisory Council; expiration.
[H 2541]
Approved March 21, 2019
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 2.2-2699.3 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 2.2-2699.3. (Expires July 1, 2019) Broadband Advisory Council; purpose; membership; compensation; chairman.
A. The Broadband Advisory Council (the Council) is established as an advisory council, within the meaning of § 2.2-2100, in the executive branch of state government. The purpose of the Council shall be to advise the Governor on policy and funding priorities to expedite deployment and reduce the cost of broadband access in the Commonwealth.
B. The Council shall have a total membership of 14
17 members that shall consist of six seven legislative
members, four six nonlegislative citizen members, and four ex
officio members. Members shall be appointed as follows: four members of the
House of Delegates to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates in
accordance with the principles of proportional representation contained in the
Rules of the House of Delegates; two three members of the Senate
to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules; and four six
nonlegislative citizen members to be appointed by the Governor, of whom one
shall be a representative of the Virginia Cable Telecommunications Association,
one shall be a representative of the Virginia Telecommunications Industry Association,
one shall be a representative from local government recommended by the Virginia
Municipal League and Virginia Association of Counties, and one shall be
a representative of the Virginia Wireless Internet Service Providers
Association, one shall be a representative of a wireless service authority,
and one shall be a representative of the Virginia, Maryland and Delaware
Association of Electric Cooperatives. The Secretaries of Agriculture and
Forestry, Commerce and Trade, and Technology, or their designees, and the
executive director of the Center for Rural Virginia and three Secretaries as
defined in § 2.2-200 to be appointed by the Governor shall serve ex
officio. Legislative and ex officio members shall serve terms coincident with
their terms of office. Other members shall be appointed for terms of two years.
Appointments to fill vacancies, other than by expiration of a term, shall be
for the unexpired terms. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the
original appointments. All members may be reappointed.
C. Legislative members of the Council shall receive such
compensation as provided in § 30-19.12. Nonlegislative citizen members shall
serve without compensation. All members shall be reimbursed for all reasonable
and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided
in §§ 2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825. Funding for compensation and expenses of
legislative members shall be provided by the operating budgets of the Clerk of
the House of Delegates and the Clerk of the Senate upon approval of the Joint
Rules Committee. Funding for the The Governor shall designate the
office of one of the secretaries appointed pursuant to subsection B to provide
funding for the costs of expenses of the nonlegislative citizen members and
all other expenses of the Council shall be provided by the Office of the
Secretary of Technology.
D. The Council shall elect a chairman and a vice-chairman annually from among its membership. A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum. The Council shall meet at such times as may be called by the chairman or a majority of the Council.
E. Staff to the Council shall be provided by the Office of
Telework Promotion and Broadband Assistance Secretary of Commerce and
Trade. The Division of Legislative Services shall provide additional staff
support to legislative members serving on the Council.
2. That the second enactment of Chapter 444 of the Acts of Assembly of 2008, as amended by Chapters 759 and 760 of the Acts of Assembly of 2018, is amended and reenacted as follows:
2. That the provisions of this act shall expire on July 1,
2019 2021.
3. That the third enactment of Chapter 818 of the Acts of Assembly of 2009, as amended by Chapters 759 and 760 of the Acts of Assembly of 2018, is repealed.
4. That the third enactment of Chapter 852 of the Acts of Assembly of 2009, as amended by Chapters 759 and 760 of the Acts of Assembly of 2018, is repealed.